Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Updated for 2019!

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), Allowance, and Allowance for the survivor are additional income-tested benefits available to low-income seniors through Old Age Security (OAS). Let’s look at each benefit more closely:

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

The GIS is a monthly benefit available to seniors who have a low income and are living in Canada. Unlike the universal OAS and Canada Pension Plan (CPP), GIS benefits are not taxable.

The liberal government increased the maximum GIS top-up benefit available in the 2016 Federal Budget by up to $947 annually for low-income single seniors.

Eligibility for the GIS and Benefit Amount

You qualify for the GIS if:

You are receiving the OAS pension; and

Your annual income is lower than the maximum annual threshold; and

You reside in Canada.

If incarcerated for 2 years or more, GIS eligibility is suspended.

The amount of GIS benefit you qualify for is dependent on your income level and marital status. Your net income (excluding OAS and GIS income) for the previous calendar year is used to determine benefit amounts.

For couples, the combined annual net income is utilized to calculate the guaranteed income supplement amount.

Guaranteed Income Supplement for 2019

﻿

The table above shows that for 2019, you are eligible to receive GIS if you are:

A single senior with total annual income less than $18,240.

A couple both receiving OAS and with a combined annual income less than $24,096.

A couple with only one person receiving OAS and a combined annual income less than $43,728.

A couple with one person receiving the Allowance and a combined annual income less than $43,728.

GIS benefit amounts and income levels are updated on a quarterly basis using the Consumer Price Index. For the most updated Service Canada GIS rate calculation, see here.

Applying for the GIS

You have to apply in writing for the GIS. This can happen immediately after you have started receiving the OAS. The application form can be found here.

For subsequent years, once you file an income tax return, your eligibility for GIS will be assessed automatically.

Allowance

The Allowance is one of the supplementary monthly benefits available to low-income individuals who are the spouse or common-law partner of someone who is receiving the GIS. The Allowance is a non-taxable benefit.

Who is Eligible for the Allowance Benefit?

To qualify for Allowance benefits:

You must be between the ages of 60 and 64;

Your spouse or partner must be receiving the OAS and be eligible for the GIS;

You must be a Canadian resident;

The combined income of the couple must be lower than the maximum amount threshold i.e. $33,744 for 2019.

The maximum monthly payment payable as Allowance benefits is $1,142.22 for the January to March 2019 period. You will stop receiving Allowance benefits the month after your 65th birthday.

Applying for the Allowance Benefit

You must apply in writing if you want to receive the Allowance. You can send in your application starting the month after your 59th birthday.

Allowance for the Survivor

This is the third supplemental benefit under the OAS program. It is a non-taxable benefit available to low-income seniors between the ages of 60 and 64 whose spouse or common-law partner has died.

Eligibility for Allowance for the Survivor Benefit

To qualify for OAS survivor benefits:

You must be between the ages of 60 and 64;

You must be a Canadian resident;

Your annual income must be less than the maximum threshold ($24,552 for 2019);

Your spouse or common-law partner has died and you have not remarried or entered into another common-law relationship.

The maximum monthly benefit payable under the Allowance for the Survivor benefit is $1,361.56 for the January to March 2019 period. Allowance for the Survivor benefits stop the month after you turn 65, at which time you may qualify for the OAS and/or GIS benefits.

Applying for the Allowance for the Survivor Benefit

You must apply in writing to receive the Allowance for the Survivor benefit. You can send in your application the month after your 59th birthday. Your eligibility for the benefit in subsequent years is assessed automatically based on your income tax return.

GIS Payment Dates in 2019

January 29, 2019

February 26, 2019

March 27, 2019

April 26, 2019

May 29, 2019

June 26, 2019

July 29, 2019

August 28, 2019

September 26, 2019

October 29, 2019

November 27, 2019

December 20, 2019

Conclusion

In some cases, your income for the current year can be estimated to compute how much benefit you will receive. This may be due to lower income due to a recent retirement, a reduction in pension income, a change in marital status, and so on.

If you have questions regarding your eligibility for the Old Age Security benefits, you can contact Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914. You can also download general application forms for the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor here.

Hi Brenda, Five months is a very long time to wait for your application to go through. I would expect it to have been processed well before now. I suggest you call Service Canada on their toll-free number 1-800-277-9914 and ask them what’s going on.

We applied for guarenteed income.we haven’t received anything saying if we are getting it or not.how long does it take to approve it or when we will know what’s going on please let me know.we applied April 12 th 2017.

Thanks. .question so the $17,000 plus i see is excluding OAS and GIS. .does that mean the GIS IS CALCULATED on just the CPP received plus some allowed income from another source such as a provincial program for caring for a disabled family member (nova Scotia ???

@Mary: Yes, the $17,784 net income excludes GIS and OAS income received during the previous year. Other pension like CPP, etc. would be included. I do not know much about the Nova Scotia Caregiver Benefit, but suspect that it would count towards your net income. Please ask the relevant provincial body in charge to ensure you get accurate information.

Can anybody refer me to the legislation ( laws and regulations) regarding Old Age Security, particularly in what concerns the calculation of the GIS and the spouse’s allowances? The usual documentation made available to the public by Internet is too general and totally useless.

For reasons which I fail to understand, both my wife and I have received GIS and Allowance payments which do not correspond to our combined income according to the calculation Tables they provide by Internet.

It appears that the Minister of OAS have not used my taxable income shown on the official Notice of Assessment of Revenue Canada , as I expected, but a considerably higher income which, unlike Revenue Canada, ignores a $ 8000 deduction for previous years ‘s capital losses. OAS told me phone that, for G.I.S./Allowance purposes they calculate the income differently (!?). I intend to formally appeal their decision and eventually go before the Old Age Security Tribunal, if necessary. In order to prepare my case, I looked at the Pension Act, the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Regulations and the Old Age Security Act, but I was unable to find any provisions to the effect that for OAS purposes the income should not be the same as the one within the purview of the Income Tax Act. Are there any other laws and regulations I should look into? Thanks

Hi, I am Canadian 73 years old, 3 months ago I have applied for OAS but they rejected my application for not providing my Citzenship ID that had lost it years ago and not applied for replacement so far! But the questions are: 1. When I applied I provided my Canadian passport & Social Insurance ID, 2. What the law says and what documents should I provide them? 3. After 2 months they called me & said “application kept pending & when got replacement of the Citizenship ID, then apply again!!?” and its really redicules! 4. As you know who ever hold Canadian passport it means the person already hold citizenship ID and the passport normally issued based on that ID.

I am really disappointed with this issue and I don’t know what to do at my present miserable life I am experiencing now & almost homeless unfortunately. Anyway hope some one concern and advise what should I do? Kindly get back to me at: [email protected], thanks.

Hi Mario: Unfortunately, I do not know how the process works with eligibility for the OAS and citizenship card. I would suggest you call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 to clarify what the next steps are. I’m sorry you had to go through this and hope you get some answers fast!

IS THE GIS a monthly benefit or yearly benefit ? if it is a yearly benefit it is hardly a benefit at all…Is it added to your c.p.p? so say your c.p.p. paid you 6000 a year…you go to the income tables and it says you get 1100 total OAS/GIS at this income….but it says its a monthly payment not an annual payment so is the 1100 added to your 500 a month c.p.p.?

Sir we are Indian H/W 71,72 years old ,we are PR from June 2013, in Canada Ontario, We have no work, and sponsor my son,Plz let me know that we are eligible any financially benefit from govt. of Canada or Ontario??guide us, Thanks.

NO….you do not qualify for any benefit. You must contribute through taxation for 64 years before you get OLD AGE pensions. You must live in Canada for 40 years after your 18th birthday. At your age you will have to work, many older Canadians that did not work when they are younger now must go back to work, UNLESS THEY HAVE NOTHING AND NO DEBTS, then they can apply for welfare…it is only 750.00 a month, that is all available to you. check with YOUR PROVINCIAL WELFARE OFFICE. Your son will have to look after you. He must be working,he must pay taxes…if he tries to not pay taxes…he will receive no benefits when he is older. Benefits are based on contributions to the government they are not just free handouts.

That’s not true, Kenn. They will get no OAS or CPP but they might qualify for GIS (and if they do qualify it may be supplemented to some degree because they don’t qualify for OAS).

Also, no one has to contribute through taxes for 64 years before getting old age pension! Nor does anyone have to live in Canada for 40 years after their 18th birthday in order to qualify for some sort of old age pension.

Canada has a social security agreement with India to provide pensions for people from India who are now residents of Canada. You will have to go to a Service Canada office where you live to discuss your options.